it’s your SWING
BY DON DELORENZO
Golf…the Ultimate Spectator Sport
H
ave you ever watched a football game from
the sidelines? Been on the court for a basketball
game or on the fi eld so close to a baseball
game you can smell the grass? The answer is probably
no. Most major sports put their fans in the stands. You
know what I mean. You are sitting cramped in a hard
plastic seat next to someone who is obviously too large
for the design of that seat and you are just waiting for
him to spill his beer and nachos all over you. Not only
that. You’ve paid at least $100 to $500 for that seat.
Add the $30-$50 to park and the $100 you dropped
at the concession stand for a couple of hot dogs, beers
and some nachos and you are into the day for close
to $1000 for two people. And you pay this to watch
your favorite team or players from seats that you need
binoculars to view them with.
Have you ever been a spectator at a professional
golf tournament? The answer for most is probably no.
Those who have experienced one probably know
already that the experience is just short of awesome.
Don’t play golf? You don’t have to be a golfer to
experience the beauty and appreciate the talent of the
athletes that are before you.
We are so very lucky that we live in an area that
hosts several PGA golf tournaments close by on a regular
basis to watch. The recently completed AT&T Pebble
Beach Pro-Am is a perfect example and second only to
the Waste Management Phoenix Open as the premier
spectator golf tournament.
Let’s talk about why you should go watch a golf
tournament. We can start with the beauty of the venues.
Pebble Beach is arguably one of the best spots in the
world. It has been quoted as “the greatest meeting of
land and sea”. A walk around Pebble Beach Golf Links
is usually not accessible without paying a $500 green
fee. But during the tournament you can stroll the links for
between $40-$70 depending on which day you choose
to go. That’s a far cry from the aforementioned prices
you would pay at other professional sporting events.
There you will see the top players of the world com-
pete on the top course in the world alongside some of
today’s most popular celebrities. To name a few, celebs
such as Bill Murray, Justin Timberlake, Tony Romo and
Larry Fitzgerald regularly come to Monterey to play in
this event.
During a golf tournament you can slip on your favorite
walking shoes and walk a few holes or all 18 holes.
You can sit at a favorite spot that has a beautiful view
and watch everyone play through. When you get tired
of that spot you can get up and move to another, maybe
to catch a glimpse of a favorite golfer or celebrity.
Unlike a major sports venue, you are not held to section
101, row 24 seat 13! The entire golf course is at your
disposal and you are free to roam the fairways to catch
the action. If you’re lucky, you can position yourself in
an area where you can get a view of the best golfers in
the world executing a shot. Many times, with patience,
you can be a mere few feet away as they launch a drive
spiraling 300 yards down the fairway. The other wonder-
ful thing about a golf tournament is you are not required
to eat the food that is there. Throw a picnic lunch in your
backpack. Pick a great spot off the beaten path or along-
side one of the fairways and enjoy “lunch with a view”
at no extra charge.
Speaking of no extra charge, parking is FREE and
there is a shuttle service that drops you off at the golf
course, where you are free to roam. Want to go from
one course to another? There is a shuttle for that too.
There are also shuttles that will take you from one area
on the course to another if you don’t want to walk
too far.
If you want a golf tournament experience like none
other plan a trip to the Waste Management Phoenix
Open next winter. The most popular spectator event on
the PGA tour, they set attendance records every year with
over 500,000 spectators. The 17 th hole in particular is
a stadium setting with seating for 20,000 people and
there is a line to get in every day. People wait hours for
a seat and it is described as “one big party”. This year,
fans were treated to a “streaker” sprinting around the par
three fairway for a few minutes. Spectators are known
to hiss and boo at bad shots and cheer loudly for great
ones. The neat thing is the pros know what they’re in for
when they enter this arena and really seem to enjoy it.
So whether you are golfer or not, casual fan of golf
or not; a professional golf tournament is a great way to
spend a day in the sunshine all while getting exercise
and enjoying great athletes perform at the highest level.
So mark your calendars and grab those walking
shoes for two great golf tournament viewing opportunities
coming up next year. The AT&T is the first week of
February and the 2019 event of the Central Coast, the
2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, will be held in June
and culminate on Father’s Day.
WESTERN GOLF
GETAWAYS
114
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
APRIL/MAY 2018
gmhtoday.com